British Airways and United Continental – thanks for the enhancements….

Just when we thought airline travel had reached its lowest ebb….PR saved the day. To think that we might have been unaware that being charged to reserve our own seat allocation in advance now constitutes an “added- value enhancement”

British Airways says that charging gives passengers “more control over their seating choices” while United Continental says travelers now have “a wider choice of Economy plus seats”.

“Choice” is the catch-all “holy grail” of consumer PR. The choice? Pay and you won’t be in the middle seat (and first off the plane if your flight is overbooked). ….Hooray for choice!

The PR Verdict: “B Minus”

As ridiculous as these explanations sound, what else can that be said that doesn’t just fess up that airlines are desperate for revenue? Ah! The life of an in-house PR.